Gordon Brown, former MP, Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath - TheyWorkForYou TheyWorkForYou The Chancellor of the Exchequer Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath Labour Has never voted on encouraging occupational pensions Generally voted for replacing Trident with a new nuclear weapons system Show votes Voted a mixture of for and against university tuition fees Show votes Consistently voted against raising England’s undergraduate tuition fee cap to £9,000 per year Show votes Voted a mixture of for and against more EU integration Show votes Generally voted against a referendum on the UK's membership of the EU Show votes We have lots more plain English analysis of Gordon Brown’s voting record on issues like health, welfare, taxation and more. Visit Gordon Brown’s full vote analysis page for more. Recent appearances Elections for Positions in the House: Backbench Business — Valedictory Debate 26 Mar 2015 I wish to start by thanking all those who have helped me during my time as a Member of Parliament. I thank you, Mr Speaker, for your stewardship of this House, your dedication to our parliamentary democracy and your unfailing courtesy to all sides, even when provoked.

It is customary, of course, for the new Speaker to give up his previous party when he becomes Speaker. You, of course, had... Elections for Positions in the House: Backbench Business — Valedictory Debate 26 Mar 2015 I have spoken today about what endures beyond anyone’s time in office and I want to leave here as I came here, with an unquenchable faith in the future—the future of a country that we can build and share together, a future in which we help shape the world beyond our shores, and a future in which we always demand the best of ourselves. That is a future worth fighting for.

Former Labour MP for Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath Entered the House of Commons on 9 June 1983 — General election Left the House of Commons on 30 March 2015 — General election Also represented Dunfermline East Environment Food and Rural Affairs Radioactive Waste: Fife Other offices held in the past The Prime Minister (28 Jun 2007 to 6 May 2010) Leader of the Labour Party (24 Jun 2007 to 6 May 2010) The Chancellor of the Exchequer (2 May 1997 to 28 Jun 2007) Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer (10 Apr 1992 to 1 May 1997) Shadow Spokesperson (Trade and Industry) (1 Jan 1989 to 9 Apr 1992) Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury (12 Jun 1987 to 1 Jan 1989) Shadow Spokesperson (Trade and Industry) (1 Jun 1985 to 1 Jun 1987) Member, Standing Orders Committee (9

 Jun 1983 to 15 May 1987) Member, Employment Committee (9 Jun 1983 to 26 Feb 1986) Future MPs in this constituency Roger Mullin Numerology Please note that numbers do not measure quality.

Also, representatives may do other things not currently covered by this site. Has spoken in 7 debates in the last year — well below average amongst MPs. See all Gordon Brown’s speeches Has received answers to 5 written questions in the last year — below average amongst MPs. Replied within 2 or 3 weeks to a medium number of messages sent via WriteToThem.com during 2014, according to constituents. Has voted in 12.27% of votes in this Parliament with this affiliation — well below average amongst MPs. (From Public Whip) People have made 762 annotations on this MP’s speeches — well above average amongst MPs. This MP’s speeches, in Hansard, are readable by an average 18–19 year old, going by the Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level score. 228 people are tracking this MP Has used three-word alliterative phrases (e.g. "she sells seashells") 2345 times in debates — well above average amongst MPs. Last updated: 30 Mar 2015. 2.

Remunerated employment, office, profession etc Payments as Distinguished Global Leader in Residence at New York University : Campuses in New York, Abu Dhabi and Florence. Hours: ongoing commitment. Address: 70 Washington Square South, New York, NY 10012: Accommodation paid for me and my staff in New York; value £1,313.65 (Registered 23 April 2014 ) Flights, transport and accommodation paid for me and my staff in Bonn; value £2,576.41. (Registered 11 July 2014 ) Accommodation paid for me and my staff in Abu Dhabi; value £835.63. (Registered 22 July 2014) Payment of £124,237 for travel, staff and research fund. (Registered 14 October 2014 ) Accommodation paid for me and my staff in New York; value £5,246.29. (Registered 17 November 2014 ) Flights and accommodation paid for me and my staff in Abu Dhabi; value £11,838.15.

(Registered 5 December 2014 ) I am not receiving any money from this role personally. It is being held by the Office of Gordon and Sarah Brown to support my ongoing involvement in public life. Payments as Chairman of the World Economic Forum Policy Coordination Group. Address: Route de la Capite 91-93, 1223 Cologny/Geneva: Payment for staff and research of £41,180.73 as Chairman of the World Economic Forum Policy Coordination Group. (Registered 23 April 2014) Airfare and accommodation in Abuja, Nigeria also paid for me and my staff; £30,226.25. (Registered 11 June 2014 ) Payment for staff and research of £40,650.41 as Chairman of the World Economic Forum Policy Coordination Group. (Registered 11 July 2014) Payment for staff and research of £40,351.22 as Chairman of the World Economic Forum Policy Coordination Group.

(Registered 14 October 2014) Payment for staff and research of £40,076.95 as Chairman of the World Economic Forum Policy Coordination Group. (Registered 17 November 2014) Airfare and accommodation in Istanbul, Turkey also paid for me and my staff; £3,461.73. (Registered 17 November) Airfare and accommodation in Washington, USA also paid for me and my staff; £12,624.29. (Registered 17 November) Airfare and accommodation in Dubai, UAE also paid for me and my staff; £9,635.06. (Registered 5 December 2014) Payment for staff and research of £43,856.57 as Chairman of the World Economic Forum Global Strategic Infrastructure Initiative. (Registered 20 March 2015 ) Airfare and accommodation in Davos, Switzerland also paid for me and my staff; £5,466.09. (Registered 20 March 2015) I am not receiving any money from this role personally.

It is being held by the Office of Gordon and Sarah Brown to support my ongoing involvement in public life. Delivery advance of £22,500 from Simon and Schuster UK Ltd, for book to be published in June 2014. Address: 222 Grays Inn Road, London WC1X 8HB. Hours: impossible to quantify. (Registered 11 June 2014) Publication advance of £45,000 from Simon and Schuster UK Ltd. Address: 222 Grays Inn Road, London WC1X 8HB. Hours: impossible to quantify. (Registered 11 July 2014) I am not receiving any money from this engagement personally. It is being held by the Office of Gordon and Sarah Brown to support my ongoing involvement in public life. United Nations Special Envoy for Global Education . Address: UN Headquarters, New York, NY 10017. Ongoing commitment.

(Registered 18 July 2012 ): Flight costs and transport paid for me and my staff, value £16,805, by Thisday Media Group & Arise TV Networks, 35 Creek Road, Apapa, Lagos, Nigeria for meetings with Nigerian President in Paris. (Registered 11 June 2014) Flight costs paid for me and my staff by UNESCO ; value, £13,103 to Kinshasa for meetings with the DRC President, Prime Minister and Education Minister . (Registered 20 March 2015) I am not receiving any money from this role personally. It is being held by the Office of Gordon and Sarah Brown to support my ongoing involvement in public life. Payment of £47,087.84 for speech to The Richmond Forum in Richmond, Virginia, USA . Address: 6968 Forest Hill Avenue, Richmond, VA 23225. Hours: 3.5 hrs. Flights, transport and accommodation also paid for me and my staff; value £22,237.79.

(Registered 23 April 2014) I am not receiving any money from this engagement personally. It is being held by the Office of Gordon and Sarah Brown to support my ongoing involvement in public life. Payment of £45,039.06 for speech to Connexall in Ponta Delagado, S. Miguel, Portugal 9560-260. Address: 5540 Central Avenue, Suite 220, Boulder, CO 80301, USA. Hours: 2 hrs. Flights, transport and accommodation also paid for me and my staff; value £7,298.86. (Registered 23 April 2014) I am not receiving any money from this engagement personally. It is being held by the Office of Gordon and Sarah Brown to support my ongoing involvement in public life. Flights and accommodation paid for me and my staff, value £8,820.87 to attend Education Conference in Oslo, Norway . Address: Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 7 Juni-plassen, Victoria Terrasse, PB 8114 Dep. N-0032 Oslo, Norway.

Hours: 7 hrs. (Registered 11 June 2014) I am not receiving any money from this engagement personally. It is being held by the Office of Gordon and Sarah Brown to support my ongoing involvement in public life. Payment of £46,155.72 for speech to The Association for Advanced Life Underwriting in Washington D.C., USA. Address: 11921 Freedom Drive, Suite 1100, Reston, VA 20190, USA. Hours: 1.45 hrs. Flights, transport and accommodation also paid for me and my staff; value £24,555.14. (Registered 11 June 2014) I am not receiving any money from this engagement personally. It is being held by the Office of Gordon and Sarah Brown to support my ongoing involvement in public life. Payment of £46,512.74 for speech to The American University in Dubai, UAE. Address: The American University, Sh. Zayed Road, PO Box 28282 Dubai, UAE. Hours: 5 hrs.

Flights, transport and accommodation also paid for me and my staff; value £32,256.46. (Registered 11 June 2014) I am not receiving any money from this engagement personally. It is being held by the Office of Gordon and Sarah Brown to support my ongoing involvement in public life. Flights and transport paid for me and my staff, value £2,426, to speak at the International Trade Union Confederation World Congress 2014 in Berlin. Address: Head Office, 1210 Brussels, Germany. Hours: 1 hr. (Registered 11 July 2014) I am not receiving any money from this engagement personally. It is being held by the Office of Gordon and Sarah Brown to support my ongoing involvement in public life. Accommodation and transport paid for me and my staff, value £1,403.90, to speak at the Global Partnership for Education Replenishment Conference in Brussels. Address: 1818 H Street, NW , P 6-600 Washington DC 20433. Hours: 1.5hrs.

(Registered 11 July 2014) I am not receiving any money from this engagement personally. It is being held by the Office of Gordon and Sarah Brown to support my ongoing involvement in public life. Flights, accommodation and transport paid for me and my staff, value £2,584.83, to speak at a Novamedia dinner in Amsterdam. Address: Novamedia B.V., van Eeghenstraat 93-95, 1071 EX Amsterdam. Hours: 1hr. (Registered 14 October 2014) I am not receiving any money from this engagement personally. It is being held by the Office of Gordon and Sarah Brown to support my ongoing involvement in public life. Payment of £61,732.83 for speech to The First Dameisha China Innovation Forum in Dameisha, China. Address: KOK Associates F/S/T Shenzhen Modern Institute of Innovation and Development Suite 2410, China Tower 2, No 1 Jianguomenwai Av., Beijing, Chaoyang District 100004. Hours: 2.5hrs.

Flights, transport and accommodation also paid for me and my staff; value £40,138.75. (Registered 17 November 2014; updated 5 December 2014) I am not receiving any money from this engagement personally. It is being held by the Office of Gordon and Sarah Brown to support my ongoing involvement in public life. Payment of £49,001 for speech to EF Education First Ltd in Boston, MA , USA. Address: EF Education First Ltd, Haldenstrasse 4, Lucern, 6006. Hours: 3hrs. Flights, transport and accommodation also paid for me and my staff; value £34,868.36. (Registered 20 March 2015) I am not receiving any money from this engagement personally. It is being held by the Office of Gordon and Sarah Brown to support my ongoing involvement in public life. 7. Overseas benefits and gifts See also my entries under Category 2 . 9. Shareholdings (a) Office of Gordon and Sarah Brown Ltd; company set up to provide administrative support for Mr and Mrs Brown in their ongoing activities. 11.

Miscellaneous Co-convenor of the Global Campaign for Education high level panel. Unpaid role: research and back-up support provided via members of the GCE Coalition.

Rt Hon Gordon Brown - UK Parliament Rt Hon Gordon Brown Retired: since 30 March 2015 Constituency Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath 2010 - 2015 Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath 2005 - 2010 Dunfermline East 2001 - 2005 Member for Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath May 2005 - Mar 2015 Prime Minister, First Lord of the Treasury and Minister for the Civil Service Jun 2007 - May 2010 Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer Apr 1992 - May 1997 Shadow Spokesperson (Trade and Industry) Jan 1989 - Apr 1992 Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury Jun 1987 - Jan 1989 Shadow Spokesperson (Trade and Industry) Jun 1985 - Jun 1987 Gordon Brown announces he will stand down as MP - BBC News BBC News Gordon Brown announces he will stand down as MP 2 December 2014 Close share panel Media captionGordon

 Brown: "I'm in no doubt it's the right thing to do" Former Prime Minister Gordon Brown is to stand down as an MP at the next general election.

The Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath MP ruled out a Labour peerage, as he made the announcement to constituency activists. Mr Brown was chancellor from 1997 to 2007 before spending three years in 10 Downing Street. Labour leader Ed Miliband described Mr Brown as a "towering figure", while David Cameron said he had "given a huge amount" to public life. Under Mr Brown's leadership, Labour lost power in 2010 after 13 years in government, recording its worst general election result since 1983. Since then, he has kept a generally low profile, making an intervention in a debate on the phone-hacking scandal and later entering the Scottish independence campaign. Leaving Westminster Addressing Labour Party activists in his constituency in Fife, Mr Brown said he was in "no doubt" that stepping down was the right thing to do. Media captionMr Brown will have served 32 years at Westminster by the time of the general election - Iain Watson takes a look at his career But he stressed his continuing commitment to the constituency at the meeting of supporters, friends and wife and children. "We are not leaving Fife. It is London that I am leaving.

For the avoidance of doubt, I'm not going back to Westminster nor to House of Lords. "It is Fife where our home is and where we will be, where our children John and Fraser - who are here tonight - are happily at school." Analysis Image copyright PA James Landale, BBC deputy political editor To his opponents, Gordon Brown was one of the worst prime ministers of the post-war era, a man whose ambition outpaced his ability. To his supporters, he was a giant of his age, a politician who helped save the global economy and the United Kingdom. He could be brilliant and inspirational. He could be insecure and suspicious. Above all, he was a complex figure whose character shaped his leadership, from his moral seriousness to his petty rivalries. Read more of James Landale's analysis here. Mr Brown told the meeting that although he was standing down next May, "I want to renew my commitment to public service". "So, in the next few months I will do everything I can to secure the election of my successor here as the Member of Parliament and the election of Ed Miliband as prime minister under a Labour government," he pledged.

Image copyright Getty Images He said he would also use the skills he learned "fighting the cause of Scotland in Britain" and to "fight also the cause of Britain in Europe". "And, although I have no desire to return to frontline politics, if the health service needs an additional champion, if the cause of social justice needs someone else to speak up for it, if the cause of Scotland in Britain needs someone to speak for it, and if I feel I can make a difference, then I will do everything in my power to play my part in securing the election of a Labour government in the Scottish parliament elections in 2016 as well," the MP added. 'My hero' Mr Brown, who first entered Parliament in 1983, confirmed his intentions in a speech to his constituency Labour Party on Monday evening. His wife, Sarah, who was at the event, told BBC Scotland it was "quite an emotional day". "I've known Gordon always as a Member of Parliament and I think most decisions we'd make together as a family or as a couple but actually this one was for him alone.

So, yeah, it's the end of this particular era." Asked what he and the family would do next, she said they had both been working on global education projects and would "combine our efforts" to try to tackle the problem of "58 million children who don't get a single day at school around the world". Image caption Gordon Brown's wife, Sarah, says the couple will continue to work on global education projects When pressed about criticism of her husband during his career, she said she didn't read "every comment" and stood by past remarks that he was "my hero". Alastair Campbell, Tony Blair's former director of communications, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme Mr Brown was "one of the political figures of our time". "At his best to work with he was absolutely brilliant. And equally at other times he could be a nightmare to work with," he said. "I think sometimes with really great figures there is always a downside and that was the downside... this idea that he was brilliant but he was also impossible." "You see this in a lot of people there is often this link between hyper achievement and psychological issues. I've got them myself, I've been very open about that," Mr Campbell added.

Mr Campbell described the relationship between Blair and Brown as like Lennon and McCartney and said Mr Blair had come close to sacking Mr Brown. The former spin doctor worked closely with Mr Brown when he was chancellor. "I used to go to meetings every single morning. You never knew what mood he'd be in but whatever it was he was worth working with because we did make things happen," Mr Campbell said. "I always gave him the benefit of the doubt - except when he could be totally nightmarish and then we all lost it." Charity work The BBC's assistant political editor Norman Smith said Mr Brown's decision to step down was "not a huge surprise", with the former PM having been a "relatively infrequent visitor to Westminster" since the 2010 general election. Since resigning as prime minister and Labour leader, Mr Brown has focused on charity work and his role as United Nations special envoy for global education. Mr Brown told the meeting that he would continue this work from Fife. He returned to the political spotlight during the latter stages of the Scottish independence referendum campaign with the result in the balance, helping to secure the vote against independence.

Image copyright PA Image caption Tony Blair and Gordon Brown led the Labour government for 13 years A key part of his role was setting out a timetable for boosting the Scottish Parliament's powers if voters rejected independence, a timetable which was backed by the leaders of the three main pro-Union parties. Image copyright AP Image caption He resigned as prime minister after the 2010 general election Image copyright AP Image caption He pledged new powers for Scotland ahead of the referendum on independence Supporters later urged him to contest the leadership of the Scottish Labour Party but he declined. Mr Brown said he did not want to announce his intention to step down until he was sure that the promises of further Scottish devolution, made during the referendum campaign, would go ahead. He had a majority of 23,000 at the last general election. Treasury decade As chancellor Mr Brown oversaw a decade of growth, made the Bank of England independent and played a key role in keeping the UK out of the euro.

He took over as prime minister from Mr Blair without a contest in 2007 but his premiership, which suffered when he decided at the last minute against calling a snap election that autumn, was dominated by the financial crisis and bank bailouts as the UK slipped into recession with a soaring deficit. He saw off frequent rumours of challenges to his leadership by fellow Labour MPs, but his popularity never returned to the levels of his early days as PM. Gordon Brown 1997: Becomes chancellor following Labour election landslide 2007: Becomes prime minister after Tony Blair stands down 2010: Steps down from No 10 after general election defeat The low point came during the 2010 election campaign, when he was recorded referring to a voter he had just spoken to in Rochdale, Gillian Duffy, as a "bigoted woman". He later went to Mrs Duffy's house in Rochdale to apologise, saying he was "mortified". After the 2010 general election, he stayed on as prime minister for five days during negotiations between the parties. With the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats poised to form a coalition government, he resigned as prime minister and stepped down as Labour leader.

Mr Cameron said: "Gordon has given a huge amount in terms of public service and his contribution in government and Parliament, and I am sure he will go on contributing to public life even after he has left the House of Commons." 'Uneasy temperament' Praising his legacy, which Mr Miliband said included the minimum wage and the preservation of the United Kingdom following September's Scottish independence referendum, Mr Miliband said his predecessor as Labour leader "will obviously be missed" but "will carry on serving the Labour Party in other ways". "Gordon has been a towering political figure for a generation," he said. "He's been instrumental in many of the Labour government's past achievements like investment in health and education and the minimum wage. He worked with other world leaders to stop the financial crisis becoming a great depression.

And even recently he played a really important role in the Scottish referendum making sure there was a no vote." Media captionEd Miliband described Gordon Brown as a "towering political figure" Former Labour Cabinet minister Lord Mandelson, a one-time foe of Mr Brown's who was brought back into government by him in 2008, said the ex-PM had been instrumental in salvaging the global financial system in the aftermath of the 2007 banking crash. Despite having what he described as an "uneasy temperament" and a capacity to "sometimes see conspiracies where none existed", Lord Mandelson said "no-one could take away" his achievements in office. "The balance of achievements will be very much in Gordon Brown's favour," he told the BBC. Labour's shadow Scotland secretary Margaret Curran said: "The whole Scottish Labour Party wishes Gordon well and while he will no longer be an MP, he still has a great part to play in Scottish politics and as an international campaigner for education." Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said Gordon Brown had made an "enormous contribution" to Scottish, UK and international politics.

Gordon Brown announces he will stand down as MP - BBC News BBC News Gordon Brown announces he will stand down as MP 2 December 2014 Close share panel Media captionGordon Brown: "I'm in no doubt it's the right thing to do" Former Prime Minister Gordon Brown is to stand down as an MP at the next general election. The Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath MP ruled out a Labour peerage, as he made the announcement to constituency activists. Mr Brown was chancellor from 1997 to 2007 before spending three years in 10 Downing Street. Labour leader Ed Miliband described Mr Brown as a "towering figure", while David Cameron said he had "given a huge amount" to public life. Under Mr Brown's leadership, Labour lost power in 2010 after 13 years in government, recording its worst general election result since 1983. Since then, he has kept a generally low profile, making an intervention in a debate on the phone-hacking scandal and later entering the Scottish independence campaign.

Leaving Westminster Addressing Labour Party activists in his constituency in Fife, Mr Brown said he was in "no doubt" that stepping down was the right thing to do. Media captionMr Brown will have served 32 years at Westminster by the time of the general election - Iain Watson takes a look at his career But he stressed his continuing commitment to the constituency at the meeting of supporters, friends and wife and children. "We are not leaving Fife. It is London that I am leaving. For the avoidance of doubt, I'm not going back to Westminster nor to House of Lords. "It is Fife where our home is and where we will be, where our children John and Fraser - who are here tonight - are happily at school." Analysis Image copyright PA James Landale, BBC deputy political editor To his opponents, Gordon Brown was one of the worst prime ministers of the post-war era, a man whose ambition outpaced his ability. To his supporters, he was a giant of his age, a politician who helped save the global economy and the United Kingdom. He could be brilliant and inspirational. He could be insecure and suspicious. Above all, he was a complex figure whose character shaped his leadership, from his moral seriousness to his petty rivalries.

Read more of James Landale's analysis here. Mr Brown told the meeting that although he was standing down next May, "I want to renew my commitment to public service". "So, in the next few months I will do everything I can to secure the election of my successor here as the Member of Parliament and the election of Ed Miliband as prime minister under a Labour government," he pledged. Image copyright Getty Images He said he would also use the skills he learned "fighting the cause of Scotland in Britain" and to "fight also the cause of Britain in Europe". "And, although I have no desire to return to frontline politics, if the health service needs an additional champion, if the cause of social justice needs someone else to speak up for it, if the cause of Scotland in Britain needs someone to speak for it, and if I feel I can make a difference, then I will do everything in my power to play my part in securing the election of a Labour government in the Scottish parliament elections in 2016 as well," the MP added. 'My hero' Mr Brown, who first entered Parliament in 1983, confirmed his intentions in a speech to his constituency Labour Party on Monday evening.

His wife, Sarah, who was at the event, told BBC Scotland it was "quite an emotional day". "I've known Gordon always as a Member of Parliament and I think most decisions we'd make together as a family or as a couple but actually this one was for him alone. So, yeah, it's the end of this particular era." Asked what he and the family would do next, she said they had both been working on global education projects and would "combine our efforts" to try to tackle the problem of "58 million children who don't get a single day at school around the world". Image caption Gordon Brown's wife, Sarah, says the couple will continue to work on global education projects When pressed about criticism of her husband during his career, she said she didn't read "every comment" and stood by past remarks that he was "my hero". Alastair Campbell, Tony Blair's former director of communications, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme Mr Brown was "one of the political figures of our time". "At his best to work with he was absolutely brilliant. And equally at other times he could be a nightmare to work with," he said. "I think sometimes with really great figures there is always a downside and that was the downside...

this idea that he was brilliant but he was also impossible." "You see this in a lot of people there is often this link between hyper achievement and psychological issues. I've got them myself, I've been very open about that," Mr Campbell added. Mr Campbell described the relationship between Blair and Brown as like Lennon and McCartney and said Mr Blair had come close to sacking Mr Brown. The former spin doctor worked closely with Mr Brown when he was chancellor. "I used to go to meetings every single morning. You never knew what mood he'd be in but whatever it was he was worth working with because we did make things happen," Mr Campbell said. "I always gave him the benefit of the doubt - except when he could be totally nightmarish and then we all lost it." Charity work The BBC's assistant political editor Norman Smith said Mr Brown's decision to step down was "not a huge surprise", with the former PM having been a "relatively infrequent visitor to Westminster" since the 2010 general election. Since resigning as prime minister and Labour leader, Mr Brown has focused on charity work and his role as United Nations special envoy for global education. Mr Brown told the meeting that he would continue this work from Fife.

He returned to the political spotlight during the latter stages of the Scottish independence referendum campaign with the result in the balance, helping to secure the vote against independence. Image copyright PA Image caption Tony Blair and Gordon Brown led the Labour government for 13 years A key part of his role was setting out a timetable for boosting the Scottish Parliament's powers if voters rejected independence, a timetable which was backed by the leaders of the three main pro-Union parties. Image copyright AP Image caption He resigned as prime minister after the 2010 general election Image copyright AP Image caption He pledged new powers for Scotland ahead of the referendum on independence Supporters later urged him to contest the leadership of the Scottish Labour Party but he declined. Mr Brown said he did not want to announce his intention to step down until he was sure that the promises of further Scottish devolution, made during the referendum campaign, would go ahead. He had a majority of 23,000 at the last general election. Treasury decade As chancellor Mr Brown oversaw a decade of growth, made the Bank of England independent and played a key role in keeping the UK out of the euro.

He took over as prime minister from Mr Blair without a contest in 2007 but his premiership, which suffered when he decided at the last minute against calling a snap election that autumn, was dominated by the financial crisis and bank bailouts as the UK slipped into recession with a soaring deficit. He saw off frequent rumours of challenges to his leadership by fellow Labour MPs, but his popularity never returned to the levels of his early days as PM. Gordon Brown 1997: Becomes chancellor following Labour election landslide 2007: Becomes prime minister after Tony Blair stands down 2010: Steps down from No 10 after general election defeat The low point came during the 2010 election campaign, when he was recorded referring to a voter he had just spoken to in Rochdale, Gillian Duffy, as a "bigoted woman". He later went to Mrs Duffy's house in Rochdale to apologise, saying he was "mortified". After the 2010 general election, he stayed on as prime minister for five days during negotiations between the parties. With the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats poised to form a coalition government, he resigned as prime minister and stepped down as Labour leader.

Mr Cameron said: "Gordon has given a huge amount in terms of public service and his contribution in government and Parliament, and I am sure he will go on contributing to public life even after he has left the House of Commons." 'Uneasy temperament' Praising his legacy, which Mr Miliband said included the minimum wage and the preservation of the United Kingdom following September's Scottish independence referendum, Mr Miliband said his predecessor as Labour leader "will obviously be missed" but "will carry on serving the Labour Party in other ways". "Gordon has been a towering political figure for a generation," he said. "He's been instrumental in many of the Labour government's past achievements like investment in health and education and the minimum wage. He worked with other world leaders to stop the financial crisis becoming a great depression.

And even recently he played a really important role in the Scottish referendum making sure there was a no vote." Media captionEd Miliband described Gordon Brown as a "towering political figure" Former Labour Cabinet minister Lord Mandelson, a one-time foe of Mr Brown's who was brought back into government by him in 2008, said the ex-PM had been instrumental in salvaging the global financial system in the aftermath of the 2007 banking crash. Despite having what he described as an "uneasy temperament" and a capacity to "sometimes see conspiracies where none existed", Lord Mandelson said "no-one could take away" his achievements in office. "The balance of achievements will be very much in Gordon Brown's favour," he told the BBC. Labour's shadow Scotland secretary Margaret Curran said: "The whole Scottish Labour Party wishes Gordon well and while he will no longer be an MP, he still has a great part to play in Scottish politics and as an international campaigner for education." Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said Gordon Brown had made an "enormous contribution" to Scottish, UK and international politics.

Gordon Brown stands down as MP | Politics | The Guardian Gordon Brown Gordon Brown stands down as MP Former PM has confirmed that he does not intend to run again in his Fife constituency of Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath Former prime minister Gordon Brown announces his intention to stand down as an MP Monday 1 December 2014 07.03 EST Last modified on Tuesday 19 July 2016 10.19 EDT Close This article is 2 years old Gordon Brown announced on Monday evening that he is standing down as an MP at the next election. The former Labour prime minister confirmed in a speech that he does not intend to run again in his Fife constituency of Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath. His retirement from parliament had been rumoured for weeks after he played a leading role in the Scottish referendum campaign but then ruled out any possibility of standing to be the leader of Scottish Labour. Brown was chancellor for a decade from the start of Tony Blair’s premiership in 1997 to the day when he took over as prime minister in 2007, before losing the job to David Cameron at the last election.

He has been an MP since 1983, representing Dunfermline East until 2005, when he took on his current seat after boundary changes. Since the last election, Brown has not made many high-profile appearances in the Commons, while focusing on his charity work and role as a United Nations envoy for education. However, he made a significant intervention in the last weeks of the Scottish referendum campaign as the polls tightened. In a speech that captivated his audience, he promised a package of major devolutionary measures in a move credited with helping the Better Together campaign win the referendum. During his time as chancellor, Brown had a reputation for ruling the Treasury with an iron fist and his fractious relationship with Blair dominated the headlines, including speculation over when he would take over the top job. As prime minister, he governed at a time of extreme financial turmoil, including the housing market crash and banking bailouts, before being voted out of office in 2010. His decision to stand down means there is an Commons exodus of major parliamentary figures of the Blair-Brown era from the Labour benches.

Alistair Darling, David Blunkett, Jack Straw, Dame Tessa Jowell, Peter Hain, Hazel Blears and Frank Dobson are among those leaving their seats. Ex-spin doctor says there was a lot Brown hated about modern politics and he might have been better suited to a past age Published: 2 Dec 2014 Letters: As a Labour man I look back upon the Blair/Brown years with shame, especially regarding the NHS and Iraq Published: 4 Dec 2014 Gordon Brown announces decision to stand down as MP | The Independent Gordon Brown announces decision to stand down as MP The former Prime Minister is expected to announce his decision tonight Monday 1 December 2014 12:44 BST Click to follow Indy Politics Gordon Brown addressed his Fife constituency on Saturday on the impact of the No vote Getty The former Prime Minister Gordon Brown has announced he will stand as an MP at the next general election. Mr Brown is the Labour MP for Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath and served as chancellor in Tony Blair's government between 1997 and 2003.

He went on to serve as Prime Minster from 2007 to 2010, where Labour was then defeated in the worst general election result for the party since 1983. The 63-year-old announced in a speech in his Kirkcaldy constituency tonight that he will step down at the general election in May, after playing a key role in the Scottish independence referendum campaign this year. He told constituents it was time for a "new person, with new ideas" to represent them. "We are not leaving Fife. It is London that I'm leaving and for the avoidance of any doubt, I'm not going back to Westminster, not to the House of Commons after the general election and not to the House of Lords," he said. "It is Fife where our home is and where we will be, where our children John and Fraser, who are here tonight, are happily at school and it is from Fife where I will do the new and extended work as the United Nations special envoy on global education." Since his resignation as prime minister in 2010, Mr Brown has focused on charity work and his role as United Nations special envoy for global education.

But he Mr Brown was widely praised for his rousing speeches in the final days of referendum campaigning, where he at one point shouted: “This is everyone’s flag, everyone’s country.” His promise to fast-track more powers to Scotland is widely credited as influencing the majority "no" vote outcome. He had been tipped to stand for the Scottish Labour leadership following the shock resignation of Johann Lamont, but instead made clear he had no intention of returning to frontline politics. Five photos Gordon Brown might like us to forget Five photos Gordon Brown might like us to forget He won the Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath seat with a majority of more than 23,000 in the last election, but only made occasional appearances in the House of Commons. Born the son of a Church of Scotland minister in 1951, Mr Brown attended Edinburgh University aged just 16. There, he suffered a rugby accident which blinded him in one eye and he required lengthy treatment to save the sight in the other. While working as a politics lecturer and journalist, he fought his way into a prominent position in the Scottish Labour Party, arriving at Westminster in 1983 as MP for Dunfermline East.

He joined the front benches within the next two years and was shadow chancellor by 1992. After the surprise death of John Smith in 1994, he was viewed by many as a natural successor. But he struck a deal with Tony Blair, who would take the leadership in return for a promise of control over economic policy and an eventual handover of power. Together, the two men forged the New Labour machine, but the deal carried in it the seeds of their future rivalry, with apparently reliable reports of furious rows behind the scenes in Downing Street as Mr Brown demanded Mr Blair name a date for the succession. Gordon Brown: Life in politics Gordon Brown: Life in politics 1/7 Gordon Brown Gordon Brown’s refusal to lead the Scottish party ‘showed good sense' Getty Brown shows the strain during a meeting with Labour activists in east London in 2011 REUTERS 3/7 Gordon Brown Brown, his wife Sarah and his two sons, leave Downing Street after he announced his resignation as Prime Minister AFP/GETTY IMAGES 4/7 Gordon Brown 11.30 Brown has what seems a friendly enough chat with Gillian Duffy, 65, in Rochdale.

It turned out not so friendly REUTERS Brown and Tony Blair in a show of unity at the 2005 election campaign launch GETTY IMAGES Brown, Tony Blair and Neil Kinnock in 2001 EPA Brown, then the Chancellor, before presenting his 1999 Budget to Parliament David Rose, The Independent After 10 years at the Treasury, where he earned a reputation as the "Iron Chancellor" who claimed to have ended boom and bust, Mr Brown finally replaced Mr Blair at 10 Downing Street on June 27, 2007. His three years at the helm of British politics are remembered by a huge financial crisis as the UK fell into a recession. He largely retreated from public life after resigning as a prime minister and Labour leader in 2010, making his addresses during the referendum even more notebale. Former Labour chancellor Alistair Darling will also stand down as an MP at the next general election in the wake of the referendum. Additional reporting by PA

Question: Gordon Brown is MP for which constituency?
Answer: KIRKCALDY AND COWDENBEATH